Effectiveness of Sofa Score in Predicting the Outcomes in Cases of Sepsis in Acute Surgical Diseases

Abstract

Introduction: Sepsis remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, particularly among surgical patients where postoperative infections and inflammatory responses complicate recognition. Accurate prognostic tools are essential for timely intervention. The Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score has been recommended under Sepsis-3 criteria for predicting sepsis-related outcomes, but evidence in acute surgical cohorts remains limited. The objective of the study is to evaluate the effectiveness of the SOFA score in predicting outcomes among patients with sepsis admitted under General Surgery in a tertiary care teaching hospital.

Materials and Methods: This prospective observational study was conducted at Adichunchanagiri Institute of Medical Sciences, Adichunchanagiri University, Karnataka, from March 2023 to October 2024. A total of 100 adult patients with sepsis admitted under General Surgery were enrolled. SOFA scores were calculated at admission, and outcomes were recorded as discharge or mortality. Data were analyzed using SPSS v26, with diagnostic accuracy assessed via sensitivity, specificity, predictive values, and AUROC.

Results: The mean age was 60.37 ± 15.63 years, with males comprising 82% of participants. Overall mortality was 47%. Patients who died had significantly higher SOFA scores (mean 9.43 ± 3.16) compared to survivors (6.76 ± 5.13; p=0.001). A SOFA cut-off >14 predicted mortality with 94.3% sensitivity, 97.9% specificity, PPV of 98.0%, NPV of 93.9%, and AUROC of 0.996 (95% CI: 0.990–1.000).

Conclusion: The SOFA score demonstrated excellent predictive accuracy for mortality in surgical patients with sepsis, underscoring its value as a practical and reliable tool for early risk stratification and guiding timely clinical interventions.